In recent years, organic semiconductor field-effect transistors (organic semiconductor field effect transistors (FETs): organic transistors) operating with low power consumption have been studied and developed, and radio frequency identification (RFID), for example, has been drawing attention as an object for application of the organic transistors. Here, an operating speed of approximately 20 to 100 kb/s as defined by a standard such as ISO 14443, ISO 15693, or the like is desired for RFID.
However, in the case of organic transistors, there is a large difference between current driving forces of a p-channel type (p-type) transistor and an n-type transistor (p-type transistor>>n-type transistor). Therefore, flip-flop circuits of a conventional type have a very slow operating speed, and it is difficult to apply organic transistors to RFID. A circuit design that maximizes the performance of an organic process is desired for realization of the application of organic transistors to RFID.
Incidentally, various proposals have been made for flip-flop circuits.
As described above, a flip-flop circuit based on a new circuit design is desired to apply organic transistors with low power consumption to RFID (semiconductor integrated circuit device). In addition, the problem of the flip-flop circuits which problem is caused by the difference between the current driving forces of a p-type transistor and an n-type transistor is not limited to organic transistors.
Also in a case of inorganic transistors such as metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) FETs or the like, there is a difference between current driving forces of a p (channel type) MOS transistor and an nMOS transistor (pMOS transistor<nMOS transistor). Therefore, a flip-flop circuit according to a present technology to be described later in detail may be expected to be improved in operating speed even when the flip-flop circuit is formed with transistors other than organic transistors.
For example, the flip-flop circuit (semiconductor integrated circuit device) according to the present technology may be RFID using organic transistors or may be applied to various other semiconductor integrated circuit devices. Further, the flip-flop circuit according to the present technology may be flip-flop circuits formed with organic transistors or may be flip-flop circuits using other transistors such as MOS transistors or the like.
The followings are reference documents.
[DOCUMENT 1] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2015-173465,
[DOCUMENT 2] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-203479,
[DOCUMENT 3] U.S. Pat. No. 7,583,123,
[DOCUMENT 4] H. Partovi et al., “Flow-Through Latch and Edge-Triggered Flip-flop Hybrid Elements,” ISSCC Dig. Tech. Papers, pp. 138-139, February 1996, and
[DOCUMENT 5] V. Fiore et al., “A 13.56 MHz RFID Tag with Active Envelope Detection in an Organic Complementary TFT Technology,” ISSCC Dig. Tech. Papers, pp. 492-494, February 2014.